Automatic can feeder



June 7, 1932. GASPER Y 1,862,479

AUTOMATIC CAN FEEDER Filed Aug. 30, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.Jo/m/ 645/ 5 A TTORNEYS.

June 7, v1932. J. GASPER AUTOMATIC CAN FEEDER Filed Aug. 50, 1929 5Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Joy/V 6/15/ 0? K/ACu M A TTORNEYS.

J. GASPER 1,862,479

AUTOMATIC CAN FEEDER June 7, 1932.

Filed Aug. 30, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 'c/O/l/V 645F157?ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES JOHN GASPER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR T LIGGETT & MYERS TOBACCO COM- IPAN'Y, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY AUTOMATIC CAN FEEDER Application filed August30, 1929. Serial No. 389,403.

This invention is an improvement in automatic can feeders, and moreparticularly in a mechanism for feeding cans with hinged covers tocanning equipment.

In a certain type of can, such for instance, as are used for holdingsmoking tobacco, the cans have hinged covers. The tobacco is usuallypackaged and the package is inserted in the opened can. To enable theoperation of the canning equipment, the covers must be opened before thecans are placed therein, and this is usually done by an operator.

One of the primary objects or the present invention is the provision ofa feeder, for

13 feeding cans of this type in succession from a magazine, whereinmeans is provided for opening the covers and for holding them opened inposition for the insertion of a charge of material.

Another object is the provision of means in connection with the machinefor transfer ring the cans with the covers open to the carrier of thecanning machine, that is, the machine which inserts the charge.

Another object is to provide mechanism in connection with the machine,for enabling the ejectment of improperly positioned cans from themachine without damage to the can and without transfer to the carrier ofthe can- 'go ning machine.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination ofparts fully described hereinafter,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claimsappended hereto, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the drawings forming a part hereof Fig. 1 is a side view.

Fig. 2 is a plan View.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in side elevation of the cover openingmechanism.

Figs. 1, 5 and 6 are sections on the lines l4, 55 and 6-6, respectively,of Fig. 1.

The improved machine is designed to operate upon cans of the type suchas are used 5 for holding smoking tobacco, that is, a can having ahinged cover. Such cans are usually filled by machinery, the tobaccobeing formed lnto a package, usually with waterproof paper, which ispushed into the can, the cans,

being transported by a suitable carrier. In the usual method, thecan-covers are opened by the operator,

In the construction shown, the cans indicated at l are arranged'withina, suitable magazine 2, from which they are fed one by one toa carrier.The cans are arranged in the magazine with the covers closed, and withthe long axis of the can horizontal. In the present instance, thecarrier is a chain 3, composed of pairs of laterally spaced links, andto the outer faces of the members of sun-' dry of the pairs, plates orlugs 4 are secured, each pair of lugs being designedto engage thelowermost can in the magazine, near the ends thereof, and deliver itfrom the magazine as the chain moves. I Y

The chain or [carrier is supported I by sprocket wheels 5 and 6, securedon the shafts 7 and 8, journaled in a suitable frame 9, in such mannerthat the upper run of the carrier issubstantially horizontal, and passesbeneaththe lower end of the magazine 2.

"The shaft 7 has bearing blocks 10 journaled in guides 11 in the frame,and it is adjusted toward and from the shaft 8, by means of the setscrews 12 threaded through the ends of the guides, and engaging thebearing blocks. By this mechanism, the tension of the carrier will beadjusted.

As the cans are moved forwardly by the carrier, that is, to the right-ofFig. 1, they pass beneath a'guide 13, in the form of an angle platesecured to the magazine, and extending forwardly above the upper run ofthe carrier, and substantially parallel therewith. The tops of thecovers of the cans are engaged by a spring guide 13a, which serves toproperly position the canson the carrier, Asthe cans pass from beneaththe guides 13, they move beneath other guides 14 and 14a, supported by aswinging frame15, pivoted at 16 to standard 16a on the frame 9. Beneaththe swinging frame the cans are supported by plates 17 and 18, mountedon a tabIe 20, which forms the top of the frame at this inc point. Theplates 17 and 18 are so arranged that the cans rest upon the plates neartheir ends, as shown in Fig. 5, the plates being at opposite sides ofthe carrier. Between the plates 17 and 18, the cans are supported by arod 21.

The guide 14a is supported by threaded stems 22 secured to the guides,which are in the form of angle plates, and the stems extend upwardlythrough the swinging frame 15. Nuts 23 are engaged with the stems abovethe frame, and springs 24 are arranged between the guides and the frame,normally acting to press the guides downwardly. A pair of rollers 25 isjournaled on the guide 14a, and the peripheries of the rollers extendbelow the guides, so that while the rollers contact with the cans, theguides are spaced slightly above them, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and5.

While the cans are beneath the rollers 25, the hinged covers 26 thereofare opened. As shown, the cans are arranged on the carrier with thehinges upward, and the opening is done by fingers 27 each of which ispivoted at 28 to a bracket 29 on the table 20. Each of the fingers has aroller 30 which is adapted to be engaged by cams 31 on the carrier. Whena cam engages a roller, the finger is pressed outward, as shown'in Fig.4, and the cover is opened. As soon as the can has passed the roller,the finger is returned to its normal position, by means of a spring 32.The two fingers are arranged alongside each other, as shown, and theyare operated simultaneously.

After opening, the covers are fully opened and retained in openedposition, by means of cam elements 33 and 34. These elements force thecover completely open, and hold it in such position. Referring to Fig.3, it will be seen that the cam element 33 is en gaged by the coverimmediately after it leaves the finger 27. The cam gradually increasesin height, so that the cover is opened further as it is carried by thecarrier, and the cover eventually engages the cam element 34, whichfully opens the cover, and holds it open, as shown in Fig. 3.

After the can covers have been fully opened, and pass from beneath theswinging frame, they are moved laterally into position to be engaged byfingers 35 on a carrier, running substantially parallel with the carrier3, and at its level, and forming a part of the usual canning equipment.This machine forms no part of the invention and is for this reason notshown more fully. The cans are moved laterally by means of guides 36 and37. The guide 36 is fixed, being supported from the table by a bracket38. The guide 37 is pivoted to the table as shown at 39, and it isnormally spring pressed toward the guide 36, by means of a spring 40,arranged between the free end of the guide 37 and the table. 7

It will be noticed referring to Fig. 2, that the fingers 35 are providedwith guides 41, which .are adapted to enter the open end of the can, andin case a can should be improperly arranged in the magazine, so that thebottom is toward the carrier 35, or should for any reason a cover not beopened, the guides 41 of the fingers cannot enter the cans, but insteadwill engage the bottom of the closed cover. When this happens, the guide37 yields, so that the carrier 3 may move the improperly placed cansfrom the machine without damage to the machine or to the can.

The operation is as follows. The cans are placed in the magazine, withthe covers toward the front. As the carrier moves, the cans are movedfrom the magazine in succession, each pair of lugs 4 removing thelowermost can. The cans are positioned on the carrier by the elements13-13a. As the cans pass beneath the swinging frame, the covers areengaged by the fingers 27, and the covers are opened, the cans beingheld yieldingly upon the carrier by the rollers 25.

The swinging frame in which the rollers are mounted is arranged to beswung upward from above the carrier, to enable access to the cansthereon. To enable this movement, a handle 42 is provided. The coversare fully opened by the cams 33 and 34, and are deflected laterally bythe cams 3637, into engagement with the fingers 35, the guides 41passing into the open ends of the cans. If a can is improperly placed,the guides cannot enter, and the can is discharged by the carrier 3.

It will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 4, 5 and 6, that thecans upon which the machine is adapted to operate, have flanged hingedcovers, and that the fingers 27 engage the flanges to provide forinitial opening of the cover. The opening movement is completed by thecams 33 and 34.

lVhat is claimed as new is 1. In a machine for automatically feedinghinged cover cans tofilling mechanism, means for supporting andtransporting a series of cans in like relation, hook means engaging thefree edges of the cover, said means being pivotally mounted foroscillation in a direction generally toward and from the can body andlengthwise thereof, and means carried by the transporting means foroperating said hook means for imparting an initial opening movement tothe covers.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 with the addition of fixed camsarranged longitudinally of the transporting means and acting on thecovers to move them to fully open position.

3. In a machine for automatically feeding hinged cover cans to fillingmechanism, means for supporting and transporting a series of cans inlike relation, and means engaging the free edges of the cover andoperated by the movement of the transporting means for imparting aninitial opening movement to the covers, said means including pivotedfingers for engaging the free edges of the covers, and cams on thetransporting means for moving the fingers.

4. In a machine for automatically feeding hinged cover cans to fillingmechanism, means for supporting and transporting a series of cans inlike relation, means engaging the free edges of the cover and operatedby the movement of the transporting means for imparting an initialopening movement to the covers, and other means for fully opening thecovers and holding them open, said last named means including aninclined cam for opening the cover to beyond a position in the plane ofthe axis of the can, and a second cam for moving the cover into theplane of the open end and for holding it in such position.

5. In a machine for automatically feeding cans having hinged flangedcovers, means for supporting and transporting a series of cans in likerelation With their long axes positioned horizontally, means engagingthe free edges of the covers to release the flanges and operated by thetransporting means, and means for fully opening the covers and holdingthem in vertical position parallel to the plane of the open ends of thecans.

6. In a machine for automatically feeding cans having hinged flangedcovers, means for supporting and transporting a series of cans in likerelation, and means at the cover ends of the cans and operated by thetransporting means for releasing the flanges of the covers and partiallyopening said covers, said means including resilient pressing Wheelsengaging above the cans, and relatively fixed pivoted fingers forengaging the flanges of the covers.

7. In a machine for automatically feeding hinged cover cans to fillingmechanism, means for supporting a series of cans, means for transportingthe series of cans in like relation on said supporting means, meansengaging the free edges of the cover and operated by the movement of thetransporting means for imparting an initial opening movement to thecovers, means yieldably holding the cans during operation of said coveropening means, other means for fully opening the covers and holding themopen, and means for moving the cans longitudinally from the feedingmachine toward the filling mechanism With the covers held open for entryof guides of elements of the feeding mechanism into the can bodies.

8. In a machine for automatically feeding hinged cover cans to fillingmechanism having means to engage Within the open ends of the cans, meansfor supporting and transporting a series of cans in like relation, andmeans engaging the free edges of the cover and ope'rated by the movementof the transporting means for opening. the covers into the planes of theopen ends'to enablethe first named means to engage Within said open end.9. Ina machine for automatically feeding hinged cover cans to filling imechanism having means to engage'within the open-ends of the cans, meansforsupporting and transportingaseriesof cans in like relation, meansengagingthe free edges of the cover and operated by the'movement of thetransporting means for opening the covers into the planes ofthe openends to enable the first named means to engage Within said open end, andmeansforv moving the cans longitudinally toward-the filling mechanism.

l0. In a machine for automatically feeding hinged-cover cans to fillingmechanism havingmeansto "engage Within the open ends of the cans, meansfor supporting and transporting a series of; cans in like relation,means engaging the free. edges of the cover and operated by the movementof the transporting means for openingv the covers into the planes ofthe'open ends to enable the first named means to-engagTe 'Within'said openend, and means for moving. the-cans longitudinally toward the-filling,mechanism, said means bein-g yield'able to enable improperly positionedcans to remain with the transporting means.- ,11.- In amachine forautomatically feeding hinged-flangedcover cans to filling mech anismincluding a carrier having means to extend Within the open ends of therespective cans, transporting mechanism for the cans, means to open thehinged covers operated by the movement of the transporting mechanism,and mechanism to move the cans longitudinally to cause said means of thecarrier to enter the open ends of the cans, said mechanism including ayieldable member for the purpose specified.

12. In a. machine for automatically opening the covers of containers, aconveyor, spaced elements on said conveyor to maintain a series ofcontainers in spaced relation for movement on the conveyor, meansmovable into engagement with the covers to impart opening movementthereto, and means on the conveyor adjacent said spaced elements to movesaid first means as each can is brought into a predetermined positionrelative to said first means.

13. In a machine for automatically opening the covers of containers, anendless conveyor, a chute having an open bottom above the conveyor tofeed the containers to the conveyor, a plurality of members fixedlysecured to the conveyor in spaced relation and having upstandingportions to engage a side of the containers as the conveyor movesbeneath the chute, means movable into engagement With the covers of thecontainers to impart opening movement thereto, and means on the conveyorbetween the spaced members to operate said first means as each can isbrought into position for engagement of said first means with the cover.

14. In a machine for automatically opening the covers of containers, anendless conveyor, a chute having an open bottom above the conveyor tofeed the containers to the conveyor, a plurality of members fixedlysecured to the conveyor in spaced relation and having upstandingportions to engage a side of the containers as the conveyor movesbeneath the chute, means movable into engagement with the covers of thecontainers to impart opening movement thereto, means on the conveyorbetween the spaced members to operate said first means as each can isbrought into position for engagement of said first means with the cover,a support for the lower face of the can, a support for the upper face ofcan, and anti-friction elements yieldably mounted on the upper supportto engage the upper face of the can during operation of said coveropening means.

15. The structure of claim 12 wherein the means movable into engagementwith the covers comprises a pivoted finger having an extension extendingtoward the conveyor, and the means on the conveyor to move said fingercomprises a lug to contact said extension as the conveyor moves.

Signed at Chicago in the county of Cook and State of Illinois thiseighth day of August A. D. 1929.

JOHN GASPER.

